3 reasons Kamaru Usman is right about Conor McGregor being a 'regular fighter'
Following Kamaru Usman's knockout win over Jorge Masvidal, Conor McGregor once again took to Twitter to call out the 170lb champion. Usman has since responded through several interviews.
In one such interview with ESPN MMA, Usman revealed his thoughts about McGregor at this current time in his career. He stated:
“He’s not the champion Conor McGregor. He’s not the double champion, he’s not that guy anymore.. The old Conor, the hungry Conor, that was the fighter that fighters respected. Not that we don’t respect him at all, he’s still a UFC fighter. But he’s just a regular fighter.”
The following list details three reasons why Kamaru Usman is right about Conor McGregor being a 'regular fighter'.
#3 Usman is a champion, McGregor is only ranked
McGregor was once the double champ. Notoritious in more than just a nickname. His KO stoppage against Jose Aldo will go down in history as one of the most impressive title winning performances ever. Closely followed by his win over Eddie Alvarez to claim the lightweight belt.
However, McGregor has since been forced to give up both belts due to his inactivity. Meanwhile, Usman has claimed the welterweight strap. He has also defended it in emphatic fashion, knocking out Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Burns and Colby Covington.
#2 Extened inactivity
Compared to McGregor's initial rise through the featherweight division, his recent fight activity has been stagnant. Since his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, McGregor has only fought twice, with a win against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone and a loss to Dustin Poirier.
In comparison, Kamaru Usman has fought five times since 2018, all ending in a win for the 'Nigerian Nightmare.'
#1 McGregor's weaknesses becoming evident
McGregor once had an air of invincibility around him. The Irishman was knocking out any opponent who tried to stop him, be that the explosive wrestler in Chad Mendes, the ruthless strike in Jose Aldo or the well-rounded Eddie Alvarez.
However, the first cracks in his game became apparent after suffering a submission loss to Nate Diaz. McGregor attempted to take down the Stockton native and promptly found himself reveresed. After heavy ground and pound, he opened himself up to the rear naked choke.
This would also be the case when he faced off against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The fight would last until the fourth round, before he eventually succumbed to the same choke.
He has since shown another weakness to Dustin Poirier's low kicks, which led to the first KO loss of his career to date.